Prime Minister Mia Mottley has announced a trimmer Cabinet with some new faces and changes, including the appointment of a Deputy Prime Minister and three other senior ministers, while she awaits legal guidance on two Senate positions offered to opposition parties that were unsuccessful in recent general elections.

She has also proposed a constitutional amendment to allow 18-year-old Barbados Scholar Khalil Kothdiwala to serve in the Senate.

In making the highly-anticipated announcement during a live televised statement from Ilaro Court on Monday evening, Mottley named Santia Bradshaw as her deputy, along with Attorney General Dale Marshall, Dr Jerome Walcott and Kerrie Symmonds as senior ministers.

She said the 20-member Cabinet, reduced from 24 during her last term in office, would have greater supervisory oversight.

She said the changes were necessary as Barbados was at “a critical juncture” and had an “ambitious political agenda to deliver”.

In calling for unity, Mottley said it was her goal to have Barbados viewed as one of the top countries in the world.

She revealed she would retain her portfolio as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, along with responsibility for Culture, Security, Public Service, CARICOM and the Development Commissions.

As Deputy Prime Minister, Bradshaw will have coordinating responsibility for infrastructure as a senior minister. She will also be Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources and Leader of Government Business in the House of Assembly.

Marshall will assume the role as the senior minister coordinating for governance in Cabinet; Walcott was retained as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade but was also named a  senior minister coordinating for all social and environmental policy; while Symmonds, along with being a  senior minister coordinating the productive sectors, will be Minister of Energy and Business Development.

In a notable move, former Transport Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill was given the massive responsibility of Minister of Health and Wellness.

First-time Members of Parliament Kay McConney and Davidson Ishmael were also appointed to the Cabinet.

McConney was named Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training while Ishmael is the new Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology.

As she announced her Cabinet, Mottley said: “You will observe that this Cabinet is smaller than the last two Cabinets and that it will have greater supervisory oversight and capacity to ensure that the Government’s policies and programmes are fully operationalised. We face, simply, too many critical challenges for us to continue with business as usual.”

Newcomers Rommel Springer and Corey Lane were named as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources, and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elderly Affairs, respectively.

Shantal Munroe-Knight was also named Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, while Jonathan Reid will become the first-ever Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Mottley also disclosed that long-serving Member of Parliament for St Thomas, Cynthia Forde, had asked not to be appointed.

She served as Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs from 2018 to 2022.

Mottley thanked Forde for her sterling contribution.

“I want, on behalf of all Barbadians, to thank Cynthia Forde who has been the salt of the earth and who has been there in a Government in one form or another since 1994, other than the time she was in Opposition. Ms Forde, we thank you for your distinguished service,” she said.

The Prime Minister also explained that the committee system in Parliament, including the Joint Select Committees, would be expanded.

She said it was the Government’s intention to “increase Parliament’s oversight, engagement and involvement on matters of national importance, national policy significance and in major pieces of legislation”.

As a result, she said three new Standing Committees would be added: an Economic Affairs Committee chaired by St Michael West MP Chris Gibbs; a Committee on Social and Environmental Matters to be chaired by St George North MP Toni Moore; and one on Governance, to be chaired by Christ Church South MP Ralph Thorne.

In a historic move, the Prime Minister said she would be seeking a Constitutional amendment to allow Kothdiwala to serve in the Senate.

In proposing him as one of 11 Government Senators, Mottley said it was unfortunate that a person aged 18 could vote but did not have the capacity to serve in the Upper House.

Along with Kothdiwala, the other newcomers to the Senate are Munroe-Knight, John King, Patricia Parris, Shanika Roberts-Odle, Lorenzo Harewood, and Andwele Boyce.

The Prime Minister, who called the general election 18 months ahead of the constitutional deadline, said she would consult with the opposition parties that contested the general elections on the appointment of two Opposition Senators.

“It is the intention of this government again to engage with the opposition parties which contested the last two elections to determine how best they may participate in the appointment of two opposition senators provided for in our Constitution,” she said.

“I am equally awaiting a legal opinion from the Honourable Attorney General on this matter before we start those formal discussions with the opposition parties.

Reginald Farley will again serve as President of the Senate, with Elizabeth Thompson acting as his Deputy. randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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Eleven years after former Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite signed an order approving the payment of various allowances for members of the Barbados Police Service (BPS), the money has still not yet been granted.

The Police (Regulations) Allowances 2010 which listed 11 different allowances was dated October 26, 2010, three months after Brathwaite became Attorney General and three days following the swearing-in of Freundel Stuart as Prime Minister.

The money for the allowances, more than $20.9 million, was provided for in the 2010-2011 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, and included payment for detectives, plainclothes officers, washing, travel, flexible responsibility, subsistence, duty allowance and special operations.

The regulations also cover allowances to be paid to orderlies, drivers and riders.

For example, the legal instrument shows that certain members of the service are to be paid a responsibility allowance of $878.64 per month, effective April 1, 2010.

“Members of the force assigned to protect the Explosives and Ordinance Disposal Unit shall be paid a monthly allowance at the rates and with effect from the dates specified in the Thirteenth Schedule,” stated the regulation made by the minister responsible for police administration.

“Members of the force shall be paid an annual responsibility allowance at the rates and with effect from the dates specified in the Fifteenth Schedule,” the order read.

When contacted, President of the Barbados Police Association (BPA) Mervin Grace said he was aware of the long outstanding payments for the allowances which had been approved in 2010 and he was taking steps to have the situation settled.

“It is one of the matters that we have set to discuss with the new commissioner of police. At this point, I can’t comment on it before I put it to the commissioner first. That is a particular topic we have been addressing, but with the new commissioner, I prefer to speak with him before I make any comments to either of the members or the press…knowing it was one I had been addressing,  I want to put it to the new commissioner first, and then we can move from there,” Grace told Barbados TODAY on Monday.

The 2010-2011 Estimate provide payment of $1.6 million for Police Headquarters and management; $18.1 million for general police services; $380,484 for those in the police band; $771,641 for traffic wardens and $2,901 for officers attached to the Anti Money Laundering Programme.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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The teenager tipped to make political history in Barbados if he gets the nod of approval to become the island’s youngest ever senator is equally stunned and humbled.

Barbadian scholar Khalil Kothdiwala told Barbados TODAY he and his family were still shocked at the announcement by Prime Minister Mia Mottley that she intended to seek a constitutional amendment that would allow him to serve in the Upper House.

“We [family] are still shocked and surprised. It really isn’t anything that we were expecting, we didn’t know that it was going to happen. As I say this, it still hasn’t quite sunk in,” he said.

However, the Queen’s College alumnus was quick to make it clear that he was ready to serve his country and represent the nation’s youth in the Senate.

“If I do, in fact, get the position, I will use it at all times to give active voice to the dreams, aspirations, the views of young people and I really commit myself to being a true servant of that particular group but also of all of Barbados to make sure that we all do our part to allow us to build the very best Barbados that we can,” he said.

Describing the move as “visionary”, Kothdiwala expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Mottley while stressing that young people are deserving of representation at all levels.

He noted that the new Senate also includes several other young people and he expects that this will lead to robust, meaningful debate in the country’s best interest.

“She has chosen a young senate. Not only myself but many other individuals who are quite young and, apart from being young, who are qualified and who will bring a depth of brilliance to the contributions in the Senate, and I look forward and I hope to join them in the near future,” the teenager said.

In announcing her Cabinet and appointments to the Senate on Monday evening, Mottley pointed out the anomaly that while a person who is 18 years old in Barbados has the right to vote, they do not have the capacity to serve in the Senate.

“It is, therefore, my intention to correct this by asking the Cabinet to agree and Parliament thereafter, to bring a constitutional amendment to allow an 18-year-old to serve in the Senate of Barbados for the first time. I propose, should it be accepted, and successful, that Senator Khalil Kothdiwala should be that person who will serve as a Senator.

“I have said from the very beginning, if you are old enough to vote, then you must be old enough to serve. I look forward to the support of all across civil society for this fundamental change,” the Prime Minister said.
sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb

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Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s remodeling of Cabinet has been done to enhance governance.

That is the view of political scientist Dr George Belle, who believes Mottley’s changes have been influenced by her first term in office and the need to strengthen “the core” around her.

The Prime Minister announced her new Cabinet this evening, naming Santia Bradshaw as Deputy Prime Minister and three other longstanding members of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) as senior ministers.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY shortly after the news broke, Dr Belle said Mottley’s decision to reduce the size of the Cabinet also showed she had been listening.

“I think that the Prime Minister is refining the Government in relation to her experience over the last three and a half years. She has also listened to comments about the character of the last Cabinet, particularly the size, and I think that she has brought about changes to reflect that. So that the changes seem to me to strengthen the core around herself in terms of administration of Government by appointing senior ministers and also to reward those people who are important to her maintaining leadership of the Government. Likewise, the appointment of a Deputy Prime Minister would also fit in that,” Dr Belle said.

“The only exception to that is the departure of Cynthia Forde who I would have seen as part of the political core for the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Government, but the Prime Minister said she had requested to take leave of Cabinet duties.”

Dr Belle lauded the appointments of Kay McConney and Shantal Munro-Knight to the Cabinet.

He also pointed out it was interesting that some senior members of the party were not appointed this time around.

“I think other than that the rest of the appointments is moving people around to different areas for experience and so on. I think the appointment of Kay McConney as Minister of Education is quite deliberate and I think it is a good appointment. I think the bringing of Shantal Munro-Knight into the Cabinet is a good appointment as well, although she is not known for her politics up to this point but I know that she is a very bright girl because she was one of my students on campus so I know her to be a very capable person.

“Not all of the people who have been left out of Cabinet might be of significance. I don’t see Dr [William] Duguid in the Cabinet and he was in the last Cabinet so that obviously sends the message that he should step back as well and some of the people who were removed on the last occasion have not returned, so likewise there seems to be a determination by Ms Mottley to keep them in another role in Parliament,” Dr Belle suggested.

The retired Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, also lauded Mottley for her planned move to appoint 18-year-old Barbados Scholar Khaleel Kothdiwala as a senator.

He said the Prime Minister’s proposal to amend the Constitution to allow for him to serve was admirable.

“I think that is a positive development as well if you are reaching out to the young people and the young fella is quite promising in terms of potential so that what she is doing is encouraging him while at the same time using him as an example for other young people to see what might be done for the youth,” Dr Belle said. (RB)

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General Secretary of the Unity Workers’ Union (UWU) Caswell Franklyn is open to discussions with Prime Minister Mia Mottley regarding the ongoing strike by nurses now her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has been re-elected to office, but says the healthcare workers will remain off the job until their issues are resolved.

Although stressing that the Director-General, Human Resources, in the Ministry of the Public Service holds responsibility for dealing with industrial relations in the public service, he told Barbados TODAY he would be willing to attend a meeting with the Prime Minister if the opportunity arises.

“If the Prime Minister puts herself in a meeting, I would be a fool to say I wouldn’t be meeting with her. I am saying she shouldn’t be there but if she comes, I would meet with her,” Franklyn said.

The nurses, who have been engaged in industrial action for almost two months, are demanding better working conditions and contractual arrangements.

Franklyn said the UWU’s nurses’ committee will host a press conference on Tuesday to speak about the way forward.

“People think that this is Caswell Franklyn pushing something but I am just a servant. I follow directions and, unlike other unions, I do not make decisions on behalf of the workers. The workers make decisions and I try to comply with their wishes,” the trade union leader said.

“This is now going on eight weeks that they are on strike. You really believe that if I had called nurses out on an eight-week strike, you think they would come out? They decided that they were coming out and they couldn’t do it without the blessing of the union, and it is as simple as that.

“As a matter of fact, we got people from every political camp … so it is not a political issue, this is an issue dealing with their livelihood, their profession, their career,” Franklyn added.

On January 7 and then again on 17, scores of nurses led by Franklyn took to the streets of The City to pressure the Government to address longstanding grievances. They want increased pay, health insurance, improved nurse-to-patient ratios, remuneration for degrees, and continuous training.

The nurses began industrial action in December 2021 after their colleagues at the Geriatric Hospital received a memo from the hospital management informing them of the commencement of weekly testing for unvaccinated employees in accordance with the Safe Zone Directive No. 2, 2021.

Even though it was confirmed by then Health Minister Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic that the memo was sent prematurely, the strike continued.

Prime Minister Mottley previously condemned the action and served notice that nurses’ pay would be docked for as long as they withheld their labour. (AH)

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One of the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) “old guard” who was defeated in last week’s general election, has left the door open to contesting the newly-vacant position of party president held by Verla De Peiza.

Former Government minister Dr David Estwick who has served in various ministries including health, agriculture and economic affairs revealed on Monday he has not made a final decision yet, on if to run for leadership of the party.

“At this point in time, I am just watching the playing field. It is best to do it that way because I want to see what Mia [Mottley] is going to do. The continuing playing the game of somebody leaving the government and going to the opposition is foolishness. It is for her to decide to execute an amendment to the Constitution and start speaking to proportional representation,” Dr Estwick told Barbados TODAY this evening.

“You know, the president would normally have seven persons nominated to the Senate; the Opposition normally has two irrespective of how many votes they got [in a general election]. So the best way to have that is to just make an amendment and shift what would normally be the allocation for the president over to the party with the next largest number of votes, so you can have a better balance,” he suggested.

“So I am watching to see what she is going to do, unless you are going to follow the same road of somebody like [Joseph] Atherley…another person crossing the floor for expediency,” the former DLP minister declared.

Dr Estwick said the two allotments for the Opposition should remain.

“To me, I would not interfere with the Opposition two. That is defined in the law now. What I would do is that if you are going to create a new amendment…a new Constitution for the republican arrangement, do a proportional representation in regards to the number of senators that should be appointed based on the second-highest number of votes. The president normally has seven, but I don’t see why the president should have seven when nobody ain’t voted for the President,” the ex-Cabinet Minister contended.

“Those things she now has to work out very quickly. That is why I say it is best to wait and see what she is going to do before one starts to take steps going forward,” he emphasized.

The Prime Minister said Monday evening that she would consult with opposition parties that contested the general elections on the appointment of two Opposition Senators.

“It is the intention of this government again to engage with the opposition parties which contested the last two elections to determine how best they may participate in the appointment of two opposition senators provided for in our Constitution,” she said.

Mottley added that she is awaiting a legal opinion from the Honourable Attorney General on this matter before formal discussions begin with the opposition parties.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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For the second time in less than a week, fire wreaked havoc in The City, leaving 12 people homeless, including eight adults and four children.

Two fire officers who were exposed to extreme heat from the blaze suffered injuries and had to receive medical care,
one for blisters to the forehead and the other for extreme singeing, Divisional Fire Officer Errol Gaskin told reporters at the scene.

The blaze which was reported around 11:15 a.m. quickly spread, damaging five houses.

A group of young men from the community quickly sprang into action to assist the 18-man team from the Barbados Fire Service (BFS).

Marlon Richards, who spoke on behalf of the group who were on the rooftops dousing houses with water, told reporters: “The heat was hot, but we know how to handle ourselves. The fire was very uncontrollable for sure. We had to put real action into doing what we had to do…otherwise, it would have been more than five houses.

“We assist the firemen by carrying the hoses and trying to out the fire from a different angle and contain everything as neighbours. It was a team effort. We just make sure that everybody else safe and we could have out it as fast as possible. We just glad that we save a lot of people.”

Newly-elected Member of Parliament for the City of Bridgetown Corey Lane and the Democratic Labour Party candidate in the recent general election, Kemar Stuart, were both on the scene.

Lane, who expressed dismay that yet another fire tragedy had occurred in The City, said his main concern was to ensure that “when the sun goes down that these families have a roof over their heads…and we have the personal effects to ensure that they have a comfortable night”, adding that representatives from the National Housing Corporation and the Welfare Department would visit the displaced persons.

Insisting that fires were preventable, the MP said he intended to introduce programmes on fire safety and prevention in the constituency, even as he praised the community for assisting those affected.

Stuart, who described the fire as “heart-breaking”, also hailed the brave attempts of the young men and urged Barbadians to assist the affected families.

Both of the young politicians expressed concern about the relocation of the BFS headquarters from Probyn Street, Bridgetown to the Pine, St Michael, and the possible impact that could have on their response to fires in The City.

While Stuart suggested it should be examined, Lane said: “There has been some discussion about moving the Fire Service out of Bridgetown and that is something we will be looking into to make sure that we are still within international response time, but also practical response time because you have to make sure that yes, you prevent fires, but in the event of fires that we have the response time to make sure that we can save not only life but some property as well.”

BFS Divisional Officer Errol Gaskin acknowledged that while the distance between the Pine and Lightfoot Lane may have caused some anxiety, they were on the scene in a matter of minutes.

“I can assure you that once we received the call and the appliance moved, we would have done no more than four minutes from the Pine based on the distance away,” he said.  sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb

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The local private sector has placed the state of the economy at the top of its priority list for the re-elected government to urgently tackle, as it expresses “tremendous” concern over the island’s growth trajectory.

Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA), Trisha Tannis said on Monday that her umbrella agency is keen to sit down with the Mia Mottey administration and discuss the growth strategy, given that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme was not just coming to an end this year, but that the country seemed to be under added pressure to deliver more buoyant fiscal surpluses.

With the naming of a new Cabinet by Prime Minister Mottley today, following her Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) clean sweep at last Wednesday’s general election, Tannis, whose agency represents no fewer than 10 member-organisations, said the private sector would want to know how the new government proposes to achieve improved fiscal surpluses.

“And not just know how it’s going to be done, but also to participate in the decision-making, to try to get the growth in the economy back on track in a sustainable way. We are also very, very keen to know what the response is going to be to the Global Minimum Tax which is supposed to come on stream in 2023 with a potential high-risk factor to our corporation tax revenue,” the private sector leader told Barbados TODAY.

“We would, of course, always want to know that the business association issues are front and centre, and digitization which the government has commenced, to some degree. However, we do think that we have a lot more to accomplish and more urgently now…very urgent, as it relates to the business facilitation climate and environment,” stated Tannis, whose members include the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association and the Barbados Employers’ Confederation.

The BPSA chair said the business community also has a keen interest in the ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic “so that we can avoid a national lockdown, but also still keep our country safe”.

Also on the private sector’s priority list, Tannis pointed out, is the island’s current COVID-19 testing regimen and how that will change with the existence of the highly-infectious Omicron variant and what still can be done by businesses to advance that.

“That is a top priority for us, but the economy is number one. The growth trajectory is of tremendous concern. It is taking quite a bit to get the construction projects off the ground. We are hoping for tourism…to deliver. But the bigger features in terms of diversification of the economy would be where our concerns are still very, very much,” she declared, adding, “Coming out of this pandemic with a much more resilient economy than we were in… those are the kinds of things we are really looking at,” the private sector spokesperson said.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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One of the main bodies representing public service vehicle (PSV) workers in Barbados is calling for dialogue with the new government once it settles into office.

Communications, Information and Marketing Officer of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Mark Haynes told Barbados TODAY his organisation was ready to sit at the table with the new administration to discuss a myriad of issues affecting the sector.

“I shall be calling on government when it settles down . . . to try to work with the PSV fraternity which needs help. I have asked for things before and I hope that this government will be amenable to assisting the PSV sector as much as it could,” Haynes said.

“We are cognizant that the economy is very precarious and, therefore, government has a lot on its hands, but at the same time I think this sector which contributes largely to Barbados’ GDP should be given priority. So I hope whichever Minister of Transport comes to office that he or she, and the government by extension, will be amenable to some of our requests.

“I still maintain that there should be a national conversation, not shouting across at each other but speaking with each other, engaging each other in a very professional and cordial way. I think that this sector requires a conversation,” he added in an interview with Barbados TODAY.

Haynes also maintained that the sector should be given an opportunity for talks just as is done with the private sector.

“The workers in this sector have got to pay the requisite taxes and so on to ply the various routes and I do not see why this sector should be side-lined,” he said, adding that the workers have “gone through a lot” within the last two years.

“We are still at the 35 per cent capacity owing to the COVID-19 pandemic which continues to wreak havoc and I hope it soon dissipates but, of course, we made an effort to follow the requisite protocols. I cannot tell you that every single person is following the protocols, but for the most part, there has been heightened sensitivity in terms of the workers doing their part in order to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19.”

The AOPT official highlighted the need for concessions for the sector.

“We are under stress in terms of the finances which are down as a consequence of COVID-19; the fuel tax which has not been touched . . . which is really putting pressure on the sector. This is a vexing issue for the workers . . . . That is one of the things that we will put on the table. I believe that the excise tax can be looked at as a means of reducing some of the cost. I believe government can look at this going forward even if it is a short-term measure,” he said.

“We have miscellaneous costs. Insurance is astronomical and that’s not really a government issue, I dare say, but . . . to have a conversation so government can have an understanding as to where we are. If government can help us with an insurance company that can be primarily for the PSV sector, this could be welcomed,” added Haynes who wished the Mia Mottley-led administration well in its second term in office.

“We are looking forward to working closely with the Barbados Government.” (FW)

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As authorities report a continuous increase of COVID-19 cases across the island, president of the Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) Kemar Saffrey says his organisation is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that there is no outbreak among the homeless community.

Saffrey told Barbados TODAY that as the BAEH continues to monitor the daily positive cases being recorded, all efforts are being made to keep the virus at bay among its constituents. This includes scaling up COVID-19 protocols at the non-profit organisation’s Spry Street centre and insisting that clients get tested.

“They are getting the rapid test and the PCR test and we have had no reported positive test results. We have been constantly giving them sanitizers, masks, and other groups are also providing them with the same things. One of our concerns is that we were seeing people wearing masks that need changing and we are encouraging them to change those masks. Since the omicron variant coming to Barbados none of our clients has been tested positive for COVID-19 and we are trying our best to keep it that way,” he said.

In October 2021, Saffrey reported that the charity recorded 20 positive tests, three females and 17 males, ranging in ages 20s to 50s.

Saffrey said at this time, BAEH has launched an education campaign to share information with its clients about the highly-infectious Omicron variant and about the importance of them getting vaccinated.

“For the most part, clients are being compliant and they are being tested. And we haven’t had any case of Omicron among the homeless population that we know of. I am constantly asking especially the ones that are using the shelter to get tested as much as possible. And, some of them are actually taking it upon themselves to go and get random testing if they feel any symptoms,” Saffrey said.

The president said that not only are the members of the homeless community doing what is necessary to prevent any outbreaks, but feeding and other supportive groups are also complying with the guidelines. Saffrey said from the time the pandemic started in 2020, the BAEH recommended that the feeding of the homeless population be done in a controlled environment.

“We find that controlled environments such as our shelter and the Moravian Church, the Salvation Army are areas where we can control how the homeless behave, how they react, how they stand in line and we find that that method is working rather than them gathering in a particular area ‘jumbled up’,” he said. (AH)

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Police are seeking the public’s assistance to locate a missing girl.

She is Ershelle Nikisha Sargeant, 16, of Colington Drive, Crane, St Philip.

She was reported missing by her mother Nerine Sargeant of the same address.

Ershelle was last seen in Oistins, Christ Church on Thursday, January 13 about 3:30 p.m.

Ershelle is five feet, two inches tall, stout and has a dark complexion.

She has long, black braided hair and both of her ears are pierced three times.

Any person who may know the whereabouts of Ershelle Sargeant is asked to contact the District “C” Police Station at telephone number of 416-8200, Police Emergency at 211, Crime Stoppers at 429-8787 or the nearest police station.

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Following the 2022 General Election in Barbados, Barbados TODAY caught up with Rev. Guy Hewitt who last year contested the presidency of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) against the recently resigned leader Verla DePeiza who led the DLP to a 0-30 defeat in the January 19 poll.

BT: What are your thoughts generally on the election?
The challenge of being away from Barbados particularly during last week’s General Election pales in comparison to the anguish I experienced from the result. While not a shock, it was nonetheless a major disappointment for our beloved party [DLP] and a blow for democracy in this fair land we love.

Allow me to congratulate not only those successful at the polls but all the candidates. To them I share Churchill’s apt reflection from his lifetime’s experience as victor and vanquished: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” There is the need for the unsuccessful first-timers not to lose faith as democracy requires commitment and perseverance.

BT: You said that you not surprised by the result. How come?
I know that I may be castigated by some for my frankness, as I was in the past, but I firmly believe that honesty and openness are pillars of democracy. I will call it as I see it.

It felt like a bingo game as anticipated outcomes for the DLP were reported to me: 10, 6, 16, 8, 12, 4, 14, and so on. As these predictions appeared to be aspirational rather than empirical, in the absence of polling data, I assessed the situation based on the trends being reported in the St Michael North-West Constituency.

As the DLP’s strongest performing constituency in 2018 and with one of the weaker incumbents and a strong challenger, I determined that if our [DLP] candidate [Ryan Walters] was not the obvious winner then all the other firsttimers were imperilled. While many were optimistic about the outcome in that specific riding, none seemed certain. Nonetheless, I had hoped and literally prayed that he with a few others might prevail so we could form an Opposition.

BT: What were your thoughts on the DLP campaign?
For a mature political party, the DLP’s campaign was unimaginative and uninspiring. The kick-off in St Lucy was parochial, there was no core message and many issues that should have been picked up on weren’t, the slate of candidates in terms of vision, experience, gender balance and communications was lacking, and the slogan was too generic and didn’t resonate. The party also seemed unprepared, divided, and didn’t resonate as a unified team ready to work on behalf of the electorate. While it is expected that an opposition party presents itself as the ‘government-in-waiting,’ we came over as an ‘opposition-in-waiting.’ Ultimately, we came over as lacking in soul and a sense of purpose.

BT: Any comments on Verla DePeiza’s leadership?
I said what I consider necessary about the former comrade leader last year when I contested the presidency. However, one of the obvious challenges in the campaign and a drag at the constituency level was that she didn’t resonate as an alternate or future national leader. However, it’s time to look forward and she should be recognised for her effort.

BT: What about the criticism of former Prime Minister Freundel Stuart’s involvement in the campaign?
The absence of double jeopardy in politics means that the influence of the former prime minister in the election outcome warrants prosecution. His breaking of a three-year and a half year silence to use the campaign to unapologetically herald a ‘glorious’ decade under his tenure, was an unwarranted reminder to all those who voted almost unanimously and with singularity in 2018 against the DLP. It was a mortal, self-inflicted, political wound.

The DLP has been plagued by a series of leadership crises since the death of Errol Barrow. The formation of the NDP, the no-confidence motion and the subsequent snap-election, the rise of ‘Owen-Dems’ and the politics of inclusion, the ‘Eager Eleven’ and the 2018 routing, reflects a failure to appreciate that leadership is an action, not just a position.

BT: What do you see as the consequence of this another massive defeat for the DLP?
There is a need for urgent introspection. Empirically, this 30-0 has turned the 2018 aberration into a patterned outcome.

Nonetheless, beyond the underperformance of the DLP, the other significant outcome was the unprecedented low voter turnout in what is one of the oldest legislatures in the world.

The considerable swing against the ruling party mustn’t be overlooked either as shouldn’t be the significant increase in support for third parties. Voters are signalling that their concerns need be taken seriously.

BT: What do you think influenced this low voter turnout?
Having already noted our [DLP] shortcomings, I believe the holding of a general election to coincide with a surge in COVID-19 cases disenfranchised not only those who tested positive from the virus but also those who were wary of going out to vote in the pandemic particularly those with comorbidities and underlying conditions.

However, attention also needs to be given to a growing mistrust of governments especially when issues like tackling crime, education, transparency, particularly integrity in public life, doing business in Barbados, public administration, and a general high-handedness seem to go unaddressed.

Democracy is a fragile thing, requiring constant attention. Often it doesn’t die suddenly like by assignation but perishes over time as belief and confidence in the system are eroded through limited vision, insufficient participation, poor execution, or failing accountability.

While it is asserted that politics is a full contact sport, I believe our democracy can take only so many hits. The DLP needs to urgently reorganise itself if it wants to continue to play its historic role as a guardian of our democratic heritage.

BT: Once again there is no Opposition. Any comments on the proposal to amend the Constitution to give the DLP a voice in the Senate?
The absence of an opposition voice in parliament is a major impediment to democracy and good governance. Allow me to recognise the role of Caswell Franklyn in the defence of our democracy.

However, I am wary of tinkering with the constitution to achieve the immediate objective of appointing two opposition senators, even if considered benevolent by some. We should be mindful of the saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The complaint made in 2018 against the rushed constitutional change to accommodate two of the government’s senators is no less valid now. Moreover, the issue of the assent of the Leader of the Opposition on certain decisions still would have to be resolved. From last year, we should have been addressing constitutional reform in the lead up to becoming a republic. Instead, we got distracted with an international public relations exercise.

BT: Do you have any suggestions how an Opposition voice could be guaranteed?
The guarantee of an opposition voice and diversity in our parliamentary process could be assured possibly through a mixed member system in the House of Assembly combining first-past-the-post and proportional representation.

Consideration should also be given to key non-state actors possibly including trade unions, the private sector, the media, and faith-based organisations, among others, having a designated voice in the Senate separate from those appointed by the president.

Allow me also to make the point that integrity in public life is the lifeblood of any democracy. The charge yet again of the direct exchange of money for votes warrants the immediate addressing of political campaign financing. The flood of money that gushes into politics today is a cancer to democracy. Rooting out corruption in government must be the concern of every citizen.

BT: Are you still interested in the presidency of the DLP?
As I stated previously and emphatically, I am not driven by political ambition. I contested the presidency after being convinced by others of a leadership issue in the DLP that needed to be addressed. Going forward, I hope that the widest possible process of consultation and discernment will take place to identify empirically, a single, suitable individual not just as a leader in George Street but for Barbados.

BT: But you haven’t answered the question.
Following a servant leadership model, leadership has never been about me but about securing outcomes for all ‘ah we’.
My life has been one of courageous service and as such I have never run away from a challenge or abandoned a cause. I remain committed to the DLP in whatever capacity. I hope that suffices.

BT: Is there anyone that you see as a future leader of the DLP?
There is considerable discussion around Ronnie Yearwood and Ryan Walters as future leaders of the Party. Both excelled in the recent election campaign, and I believe have much to offer the DLP going forward.

To be a success in this role, the individual should demonstrate proven leadership skills in terms of vison and decision-making, relationship and team building, communications, results-orientation and delegation, and crucially, conflict management.
I will reiterate that I think it is imperative that the Party avoid a contest for leadership, which I believe can be done if we undertake an open and thorough recruitment process.

BT: Do you have any thoughts on the discussion about separating the role of party president and political leader?
The party’s constitution defines the political leader as the parliamentarian in command of the parliamentary group.
With no parliamentarians, I believe talk of political leader is premature. Further, aware of the need for unity in the party I am not in favour of a two-headed organisation as I think it will unintentionally create factions and lead to further conflict.

The president should lead the party and the organisational work undertaken by the general-secretary or a chief executive, as we have done in the past, or delegated among the numerous vice-presidents.

BT: Any final thoughts or comments?
Democracy is not just about elections but governance in our daily life. Democracy is not a spectator sport but a participatory event. Elections remind us not only of our rights but our responsibilities in a democracy. If we don’t participate in it, we can’t legitimately make demands of it.

Finally, let us never forget that government is by the people for the people. As such it should never been seen as an alien power over us.  The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not the prime minister, ministers, and parliamentarians but we the people and the voters. May the Lord continue to be the people’s guide.

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By Shamar Blunt

After 10 years of bringing innovative exercise and wellness services to Barbados, Bajan Fusion is now marking its special occasion with a year-long celebration of activities being planned for clients and newcomers into the workout movement.
In the beginning, the once small start-up on the island aimed at delivering a new type of fitness experience for locals and tourists seeking to get in shape with a Barbadians flare.

It has now grown leaps and bounds according to founder and project manager of Bajan Fusion, Celia Collymore, who spoke to attendees during the celebration’s launch at the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries on Monday.

Collymore added that though the journey has indeed been a long one for her, it has been an equally rewarding one.
“We are on our way to 10 years on December 31st 2022, 10 years of striving for excellence. It’s been a journey fuelled by passion, shaped with consistency and steadied through patience as we Bajan Fusion have evolved in the market place.

“All the people and experiences along the way have played a role in shaping Bajan Fusion into the entity it is today, and will be tomorrow,” she said.

While recounting how the idea behind Bajan Fusion came about, when she experienced an exercise movement back in the United States where Americans were exercising and getting healthy to Barbadian and Caribbean music and culture, Collymore said her vision since then has remained committed to bringing the Barbadian cultural experience, into a fitness and wellness experience that any nationality can enjoy.

“The vision for the brand is fusing fitness, sports and music on the world stage. Everything we do, we love to support the artisans, because that is where it started.

We are in the business of creating experiences, helping get fit for life through engaging events that fuse entertainment, education and excitement.”

Owner of Business by Design and Collymore’s mentor from the start of the project, Lynn Rollins, congratulated her on her success thus far, and emphasized that it was Collymore’s perseverance and belief in the brand that have taken her so far.

“Celia’s business fits into what the academics call the knowledge economy, where she has taken her love and interest in sports, and translated it into a business that really and truly represents fitness.

We are very firmly in the services industry, we are very firmly into fitness and wellness, and we serve a customer that is not only a local Barbadian, but we also serve a customer that is a visitor,” she said.

Rollins added that an export version of the product was currently in the works, with the hope of it being launched as soon as the pandemic permits.“We are exporting, we are going out.

It’s a slow journey, but 10 years later Celia believes me when I say ‘yes, we can export’. We are still hoping to go on a cruise, which should have happened by now but COVID [had] interrupted that plan.

“To you entrepreneurs, stay the course. Every little action that you take towards building your business, it will add, but you have got to be committed to growing your business. You got to be committed to brand, you got to be committed not to networking, but to right working.”

Bajan Fusion’s slate of events this year will include breakfast workout sessions, hiking, camping, archery, and other activities, and will run from January until December 2022.

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Shaneel Coppin is the owner of Ney’s Palace 246 an online clothing store that offers a wide range of apparel and cosmetics.

As it is the beginning of a new year Coppin has decided that she wants to rebrand her business as a way to further increase its visibility.

“I decided that I wanted to push myself more as well as further my business. Instead of just offering a singular product I can have multiple products for my customers to enjoy,” she said.

Back in November, Barbados TODAY would have featured Coppin when she was highlighting her then six-month-old business. Since then she has been featured on Mornin Barbados and has reported her business to be improving by leaps and bounds.

“Since I was featured in Barbados TODAY, I was contacted by Mornin Barbados, and I had an interview with veteran broadcaster Pearson Bowen.

“I have also seen an increase in the number of persons who have come to my page in the past three months and sales have been increasing as well,” she said.

The former student of The Lester Vaughan School said that one of the new products her company would be offering is customised hoodies.

“We realised that the public loves our hoodie collection, so I thought how can I better that product for the customers and I realised that a lot of persons like anime movies.

“So, then I said that I would offer the customised hoodies so that persons can have their favourite anime character placed on the hoodie.
We will also have hoodies which bear our company’s new logo as well” she said.

Coppin is not only seeking to rebrand her merchandise, but she is seeking to have models and brand ambassadors who are willing to work with her and model her apparel as she seeks to upgrade the images on her Instagram page.

“One of the goals I had for this year is to upgrade our social media page with images of influencers, brand ambassadors and models who would wear our apparel. We would feature them on the page.

“What I realised is that some persons want to see that look and feel that aspect, thus we are seeking to do that in the upcoming months,” she said.

The businesswoman said that in the coming weeks she will have a competition where the winners will receive a custommade hoodie from her company.

“I have been operating my business for almost nine months and I am looking to give back to my customers with a competition I am hoping to host in the coming weeks.

The winners of the competition will receive a custom-made hoodie of their choice.
Coppin thanked God, her family and friends for their support as she continues to grow her business from strength to strength.
(Write Right PR Services)

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The Swearing-In Ceremony for Members of Cabinet, Parliamentarians and Government Senators will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, January 26, at State House, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

It will be presided over by Her Excellency, President Dame Sandra Mason. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley will address the gathering.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on radio and television and via social media.

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The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory recorded 923 new COVID-19 cases – 420 males and 503 females – from the 3,428 tests carried out on Monday, January 24.

Of the new cases, 146 persons were under the age of 18, and 777 were 18 years and older.

There were 124 people in isolation facilities, while 7,696 were in home isolation.

As at January 24, a total of 276 deaths from the virus had been recorded.

The public health laboratory has carried out 522,180 tests since February 2020, and recorded 40,632 COVID-19 cases (18,856 males and 21,776 females).

Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 158,129 (69.2 per cent of the eligible population).  The total number of persons who are fully vaccinated is 146,590 (54.1 per cent of the total population or 64.2 per cent of the eligible population).  The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS)

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High Court Judge Jacqueline Cornelius has asked the State, including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), to conduct an investigation into claims that six former condemned men who are to be resentenced remain on death row at Dodds Prison.

The matter was a talking point on Tuesday in the resentencing hearing of former condemned prisoner Clyde Anderson Grazettes after his attorneys, Queen’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim and Sian Lange, informed Madam Justice Cornelius that their client was still on death row.

The judge heard that apart from Grazettes, five others are allegedly still being housed on the death row section of the St Philip facility, despite a previous Caribbean Court of Justice ruling that the mandatory death sentence in Barbados was unconstitutional.

“Mr Grazettes is at an area of the prison that he is told that this is death row and he is liable to be sentenced to death until the court orders the prison in a different way,” Pilgrim told the court as he urged Justices Cornelius to take a “hard look” at the 16 years that his client has spent on death row when resentencing.

Grazette, previous of St Stephen’s Hill, Black Rock, St Michael, had been sentenced to hang for murdering 18-year-old Roseanne Griffith between May 19 and 20, 2001. He has been on death row since 2006.

Pilgrim argued that his client continued to be under “a genuine threat  . . . that this warrant” could be read.

But Justice Cornelius stated that “technically” all convicted persons who are on death row cannot be there.

“Literally nobody is on death row, because there is no death row. So far, the people who are currently sentenced to death have to be resentenced and cannot now attract the death penalty, so how is there a death row and anybody on it?” the judge questioned.

Pilgrim explained that the prison was still treating the convicted man as being under a death sentence until told otherwise.

He explained an actual process is needed from the judiciary, for persons on death row who are awaiting resentencing to be removed from that section of the prison.

“It requires either an order of the court, an exercise of discretion by the Chief Justice or some activity  . . . to the prison, which acts only on documents to act in a particular way.

“The prison cannot take him off death row unless someone tells them to . . . . The court has to effect Section 2 of the [Amendment to the Offences Against the Person Act] and if it doesn’t, he (Grazettes) is on death row and that is how the prison is treating him from 2006 to present,” the Queen’s Counsel submitted.

With those submissions, Justice Cornelius said: “I would ask for it to be investigated.”

She also requested that attorney-at-law Neville Watson who was representing the State to make “representation with the DPP to make it clear that the death sentence is no longer on the table for persons who have been sentenced to death”. fernellawedderburn@barbadostoday.bb

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The Unity Workers’ Union (UWU) is claiming that student nurses are filling in for dozens of healthcare workers who continue their strike action over outstanding grievances, potentially putting patients at risk.

During a press conference on Tuesday at the union’s Belleville, St Michael headquarters, chairman of the UWU Nurses Division Gillian Dowrich said that unlicensed nurses were filling the gap at polyclinics and other state-owned healthcare institutions where the absence of the certified practitioners is being felt.

Barbados TODAY reached out to Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Kenneth George to address the claim but he would only say that the issue was engaging the attention of the Ministry of Health and he could not comment any further.

Dowrich told members of the media that the student nurses were being used in practice because “we are not there”. The nurse of almost 20 years charged that having the student nurses working at the institutions with inadequate supervision and mentorship puts the public at risk.

“Nurses are dealing with life, we are not dealing with dollies,” Dowrich contended. “So, at the end of the day, putting on a blood pressure cuff you have to know the right size, you have to know the science behind it because all of our practice is evidence based. So, therefore, we just can’t go and put on a blood pressure cuff. You as the mentor then have to explain that to the student nurse, letting them know ‘well this is how you measure it, this is why you would select this cuff’.”

Meanwhile, Dowrich said the frustrated nurses who have been on strike for eight weeks are requesting a meeting with Director General, Human Resources Ministry of the Public Service, Gail Atkins to discuss solutions to longstanding issues that have led to the industrial action, including increased pay, health insurance, improved nurse-to-patient ratios, remuneration for degrees, and continuous training.

She said while the striking nurses expect that incoming Minister of Health Ian Gooding-Edghill will have a role to play in the ongoing matter, it is Atkins’ responsibility to address the grievances of those employed in the civil service.

“We are waiting to hear from Gail Atkins…. This is not about politics. Yes, we welcome Mr Ian Gooding-Edghill as our new elected boss but right now somebody needs to come and speak to the nurses because we need to get back to work to deal with our patients,” Dowrich said.

Adamant that the nurses were not only striking for their benefit but also for better healthcare for the public, the veteran nurse said members of her profession were tired and fed up with the way they were being treated.

She said a speedy resolution was needed to bring an end to the industrial action which also included nurses marching in Bridgetown on two occasions this month.

Following weeks of strike action, on December 20, then Minister of Health Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic reported that he had met with the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA) and several agreements were made to resolve outstanding issues affecting members of the profession.

He announced at that time that an agreement was reached in principle but details were to be worked out regarding the provision of transportation for nurses working in rural areas and at the Geriatric Hospital during unsociable hours. Bostic also said that there would be a comprehensive review on uniform and general allowances and the laundry service.

He had also indicated that an efficiency committee will be established by December 31, 2021 with responsibility for procurement of supplies across the healthcare sector, and also announced that a committee will be set up to deal with late and sporadic payments in the civil service, while arrangements were being put in place for payment for flexi-time.

But during Tuesday’s press conference, Dowrich, First Vice Chairman of the Nurses Division Shelly Griffith, and Second Vice President Marsha Gill, said nurses had lost confidence in the BNA which they said could not speak for all of them.

They said that as far as they were aware, none of the promises made last December have been fulfilled.

Griffith complained that while the UWU nurses were involved in the strike action, they were not allowed to sit at the negotiation table when the arrangements were being made.

“So, the fact that the nurses have lost confidence in the Barbados Nurses Association clearly shows that we cannot take their word. And based on past experiences and the undervalued and underfunding of nursing, and that the BNA sat and did little about it and showed no interest in pushing for what the nurses need, you cannot sit and say ‘well yes, we will trust that’.

“We need to know what happened at the negotiation table; we need to understand it. For too long, the BNA has often decided they are going to go and they are going to negotiate and they will keep it among their executive or the few members that they have, but yet you are going to say that you are going to come on national television and speak for all the nurses,” Griffith said.

She added that nurses also no longer have confidence in the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW).

Meanwhile, UWU General Secretary Caswell Franklyn, who noted that he was taking instructions from the nurses on the way forward, said while he would be willing to attend a meeting with government officials, the nurses he represents would have to be present.

Franklyn noted that he expected Minister Gooding-Edghill, who was announced in Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s Cabinet on Monday, to first meet with his Permanent Secretary and other Ministry of Health officials.

The union leader said given the increasing cases of COVID-19, the meeting should be held soon so nurses could get back to work.

Dowrich added that the Nurses Division of the UWU was hoping to have a response to their request by Friday, January 28 and will be meeting with the almost 200 nurses that are members of the union on Sunday, January 30, to discuss whether there was a need to escalate the strike action. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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